Chess instruction set



Sept. v5, 196.7

K..L AFQKIN CHESS INSTRUCTION SET Fled.Feb, 20, 1964 w W WEMEWE mimimi JW$ME- E "IM ,4 Trop/vf ys United States Patent O 3,339,289 CHESS INSTRUCTION SET Kenneth J. Arkin, 1669 47th St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11204 Filed Feb. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 346,289 7 Claims. (Cl. 35-9) This invention relates to a chess game and to the combination of component parts which imparts distinctive novelty to it.

The component parts of the garneof chess are a chess board having 64 squares of alternate color, and the pieces or men which are 32 in number, of two colors, and of 6 different kinds. Although the components are separate, they constitutee a unity which is the game.

Thel game of chess is not readily played alone except for the solution of chess problems, which usually take a situation as it exists late in the game and require that the player mate in a specified number of moves. It is also difficult to give-instruction in chess, for instance by books which record famous games and specified defenses or gambits. Following the moves as stated in the book frequently results only in the appreciation of what the expert player did without any explanation of why he did it and without any `explanation of why some alternate move was not adopted.

It is an object of this invention to provide a game of chess which can be used alone with enjoyment almost equal to that of a match, and which can be used and appreciated by experts or beginners, equally. Another object is to provide for instruction in a manner which pits the judgement of the player against that of an expert, furnishing study, amusement, and instruction. Another object of the invention is to prepare a chess game having component parts constituting a unity which is the game, which embodies a novel general principle, and which ernbodies novel details of construction, by a chess game having a chess board and pieces and a card having a concealed recorded game, an exposed table for the recording of moves by the player and means to expose the moves of the recorded game in sequence.

The invention allows one to follow a recorded game, to keep ones place without effort so that it may be worked on without loss of sequence at intervals, provides for ready and compact form, for easy visibility and handling despite small size of pieces, and against loss of chessmen.

A preferred combination of components is set forth in the accompanying drawings wherein: v

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the chess game as it appears as a pocket folder;

FIG. 2 is a modification of the folder of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a novel chessman;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view partly in vertical section and partly in perspective of novel piece and board; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of 9 squares of the novel board.

Referring to FIG. 1, components of the game include a folder 10, which may be conveniently constructed of leather, which has two folds 11, 12 which mark the boundaries of three flaps 13, 14, 15. Mounted on the flap 13 is a chess board 16, which is of novel construction as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 1. The board is made of metal having means to space the board above a table, such as feet 17, which are inturned and may be secured to the chessboard by means such as rivets or adhesive. These feet space the board from the ap. Each of the squares of the board is provided with a plurality of holes 18 which are' of identical size and of identical spacing and provide anchorage for the chessmen. These holes may be round or elongated as desired.

Chessmen are constructed as shown in FIG. 3 wherein the knight is shown as having been stamped out of metal,

ice,

plastic or other springy material in the shape of a horses head. The piece is preferably spring metal and is adapted to lie parallel to the board. It has dimensions which fit within the boundaries of a square. A small semicircle 21 is cut through the metal and the semicircles within the cut are bent down around the line 22 to form prongs 23. These prongs are tilted at a small anglev toward each other as shown in FIG. 4, wherein the angularity of the prongs is exaggerated for purposes of illustration. The spacing of the prongs at the tips is slightly less than the spacing of the holes 18 but equals that spacing near the piece. The piece is emplaced in a square by putting the tip of one prong in one of the holes and pressing the midpoint of the piece so that it bends and springs the other prong into the other hole.

There are other constructions which can be employed for the setting of pieces but this is preferred because the parts are rugged, will withstand extensive use, and hold the pieces firmly so that they are not readily dislodged by accidental shocks.

The metal plate 16 has other pairs of slots 18 above and below the board for holding pieces which have been removed.

The double flap to the right of the board 16 is provided with clips 24, 25 at the fold. These clips are attached at the fold by any convenient method and their tips receive the center fold of a card 26. This card is of a size such that it fits under the clips and within the boundaries of the double flap. The card constitutes a component part of the game. It may be printed on all four sides so as to encompass one or more complete games and, if desired, at crucial points there may be an explanation of an obscure move. As indicated in FIG. l, the card has been printed to illustrate a game which was based on the Sicilian defense. The card has four vertical rows. The first row to the left contains the moves of some expert, playing white; the second row contains the moves of his competitor, playing black. Except for a few opening moves the entire game of the experts is concealed. This concealment may be effected by overprinting in an easily erased layer of chalky water color. Alternately each move may be covered by a small piece of opaque adhesive tape of weak adhesive power. Such paints and such adhesive are known. Zinc oxide adhesive is an example. The third and fourth rows have a number of squares equal to the squares in the first two rows but they are blank and allow the player to enter his choice of moves. He can merely observe and comment on both games if he wishes, but ordinarily he will -choose to play either black or white, entering his moves in one row and his comment in the second when the expert disagrees with him. After he has decided upon his move he enters it in the appropriate right-hand row and then uncovers the move of the expert. In this way he receives a material degree of pleasure when his game parallels that of the expert and a material degree of instruction when the games differ.

One way of using the board is to play one of the games, with appropriate notations, to replace the masksl and then play the other game. Another way is to play both games, uncovering the experts move only after making and entering ones own move.

In FIG. 2 is shown a method of anchoring the printed card by means of corner tabs 30. After one side of the card has been used it can be turned over. An advantage of the folder is that it is flat, compact, the pieces are sturdy and cannot easily be lost. The card is replaceable and normally replacements will be printed and sold at Stationers and stores where games are sold. Cards can be graded according to skill and to enable the student to study the techniques of particular players whose skills he admires. The combination of components constitutes a unity, the game, into which all components enter during play. The individual components also have elements of novelty.

These elements of novelty combine to make solo chess a game which is enjoyable, instructive and, in some degree, exciting.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specic embodiments.

What is claimed is:

1. A chess game consisting in its component parts of a foldable support having llaps, a chess board and set constituting one of said flaps, a double flap beside the chess board, clip means adapted to hold a card at the fold of the double ap, and foldable card means fitted to the double flap and the clip means.

2. A chess game consisting in its component parts of a folder of three leaves connected by hinges, one leaf of which has on one of its faces a chess set, the other two leaves having clip means at the hinge to receive a foldable card, and a foldable card bearing in parallel columns a concealed chess game and a record of play which may be tted to the clip means.

3. A folder having leaves, said folder carrying a chess set including chessmen having appropriately shaped at bodies of flexible spring material and seating prongs projecting therefrom, said prongs being bent sections of the material, said prongs having their tips slightly closer together in normal position than the bases thereof, said set including a board with squares, each said square having a plurality of perforations spaced for the accommodation of the prongs of said pieces, said set being mounted on one leaf of said folder and another leaf of said folder having means for the attachment of a card.

4. A chess game according to claim 3 in which the card has a concealed, recorded game and an exposed table for the recording of moves.

5. A chess game consisting in its essential components of a foldable support having flaps, a chess board and pieces carried by one of said flaps, connecting means on another of said aps of the support to receive and hold a card, and a card having on a face thereof a printed game concealed by a readily removable covering, and means to record the moves made by the player.

6. A chess game according to claim 5 in which the readily removable covering is divided into individually removable parts.

7. A chess game according to claim 5 in which the readily removable covering is undivided and removable by erasure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,450,325 9/1948 Zirin 273-136 2,676,086 4/1954 Wales 273-131 X FOREIGN PATENTS 62,482 1/ 1955 France.

F. BARRY SHAY, Prima/y Examiner. 

1. A CHESS GAME CONSISTING IN ITS COMPONENT PARTS OF A FOLDABLE SUPPORT HAVING FLAPS, A CHESS BOARD AND SET CONSTITUTING ONE OF SAID FLAPS, A DOUBLE FLAP BESIDE THE CHESS BOARD CLIP MEANS ADAPTED TO HOLD A CARD AT THE FOLD OF THE DOUBLE FLAP, AND FOLDABLE CARD MEANS FITTED TO THE DOUBLE FLAP AND THE CLIP MEANS. 